Photo Friday: Untitled by justbeamensch

November 20, 2009 – 9:55 am

buckshot.jones, another fantastic Detroit storyteller writes: "This is Detroit, straight up. Justbeamensch (Donald Jones) has one of the best collections of the odd and funky in the City of Detroit. Take a cruise through his photostream and you gather a sense of the soul of the city."

The photo is part of Donald's Detroit Greeting Cards at the Book Beat set (slideshow) which are available for purchase at The Book Beat in Oak Park (248-968-1190). His other sets include Murals in the City, Flora and State Fair.

Take a ride down his Flickriver.

By farlane | Posted in Articles, Arts & Entertainment, Michigan, Photo Friday, Photography & Film, The Michigan Pages | Comments (0)

Noel Night: 37 Years of Holiday Merriment

November 19, 2009 – 11:30 am

noelnightThe 37th annual Noel Night will take place on Saturday, December 5th from 5:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. in Midtown Detroit's Cultural Center Area. Over 40 institutions, including the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Detroit Science Center, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the Detroit Historical Museum, and the Detroit Public Library, amongst many others, open their doors to the public free of charge during this Cultural Center-wide holiday "open house." Activities include horse-drawn carriage rides, holiday shopping, family craft activities and performances by over 70 area music, theatre, and dance groups. The evening's festivities culminate with a community sing-along on Woodward Avenue led by the Salvation Army Band — a long-standing Noel Night tradition.

By Absolute Michigan | Posted in Articles, Arts & Entertainment, Community, Community & Nonprofit Organizations, Destinations, Detroit, Dig Michigan, Dig Michigan Features, Festivals, Attractions & Event Calendars, History & Libraries, Lodging & Travel, Michigan, Museums & Collections, Performance & Dance, The Michigan Pages | Comments (0)

December Michigan Event Calendar

November 19, 2009 – 3:24 am


Christmas Display by St. Laurent Photography

Below is a list of just a few Michigan festivals & events for the month of December. As usual, there's no way to get them all, so please add links and information for those we missed and reviews of ones we have here in the comments below!

Fast Facts via Wikipedia

  • December is the twelfth and last month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days.
  • In Latin, decem means "ten". December was also the tenth month in the Roman calendar until a monthless winter period was divided between January and February.
  • December's flower is the narcissus or holly. December's birthstones are turquoise, lapis lazuli, zircon, topaz (blue), or tanzanite.[citation needed]
  • December is the month with the shortest daylight hours of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and the longest daylight hours of the year in the Southern Hemisphere.
  • December starts on the same day of the week as September.

Quotes

"Mankind should be our business, Ebenezer, but we seldom attend to it." ~ The Ghost of Jacob Marley, "Scrooge"

"Do you know how long it takes a working man to save five thousand dollars? Just remember this, Mr. Potter, that this rabble you're talking about... they do most of the working and paying and living and dying in this community. Well, is it too much to have them work and pay and live and die in a couple of decent rooms and a bath?" ~ George Bailey, "It's a Wonderful Life"

"Look Doris, someday you're going to find that your way of facing this realistic world just doesn't work. And when you do, don't overlook those lovely intangibles. You'll discover those are the only things that are worthwhile." ~ Fred Gailey, "Miracle on 34th Street"

"It came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes, or bags!" ~ The Grinch

Places to Go and Things to Do

November 18 - January 10
Christmas and Holiday Traditions Around the World - Grand Rapids
Excitement surrounds us this time of year as Christmas and Holiday Traditions Around the World brings the glow of 300,000 lights, strolling carolers, horse-drawn carriage rides and more than 40 international trees and displays. A new feature this year is a Vietnamese Ancestral Altar celebrating the Lunar New Year, Tet Nguyen Dan, along with the return of three important festive displays honoring the Chinese New Year, the Muslim celebration of Eid ul-Fitr, and the unique illumination traditions from the Philippines known as Parols. There will also be extended holiday hours on December 26, 28, 29 and 30th. The entire facility will be open until 9 pm.

November 27 - December 30
Christmas at Crossroads - Flint
This holiday fantasyland features thousands of sparkling lights and Michigan's most spectacular moving light display, the Huckleberry Railroad. The entire village is aglow with colored lights and more lights decorate the railroad's locomotive, coaches and trackside displays.

Costumed villagers prepare for the holiday season in the village's homes and shops. The Colwell Opera House presents live entertainment and Santa Claus talks with the children. See model trains, craft demonstrations, holiday music and unique shopping opportunities delight all ages.

November 27, 28, 29 & December 5, 6, 12, 13
Annual Dickens Festival - Holly
For over 30 years, the sights, sounds, smells and surprises of the Dickens Festival have been delighting holiday revelers in Historic Downtown Holly. Join in the fun as Charles Dickens’ Merry Old England comes alive in the atmosphere of turn of the century buildings, welcoming shopkeepers, and skilled craftspeople.

Nov. 28, 29, Dec. 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, & 20
The Santa Train - Coopersville
Ride with the FUN GUY! Everyone loves Santa and Santa loves kids. Each of our vintage passenger cars has a special seat reserved just for the Big Guy and his friends. Elves will escort the children to sit with Santa. All kids get a present, even the shy ones! Our story-telling Princess will read from the book, "The Polar Express" which was written by Grand Rapids native, Chris Van Allsburg.

December 3 - 6
Victorian Sleighbell Parade & Old Christmas Weekend - Manistee
A whole weekend of excitement including the Sleighbell Parade with horse drawn entries, historic building tours, special Christmas production at the historic Ramsdell Theatre, Festival of Trees, concerts, museum and art exhibits, and much more.

December 4 - 6
Christmas in Ida Festival and Parade of Lights - Ida
Hosting nearly 40,000 visitors, and known as a family destination of the Midwest, the festival creates a winter wonderland known for its hospitality, entertainment and the Granddaddy of all, the spectacular Christmas in Ida Parade of Lights featuring Special Guests, the Star of the 2009 ABC romance show, the Bachelorette, Jillian Harris and fiancé Edward Swiderski.

December 5
Annual Noel Night - Detroit
The 37th annual Noel Night will take place on Saturday, December 5th from 5:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. in Midtown Detroit's Cultural Center Area. Over 40 institutions, including the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Detroit Science Center, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the Detroit Historical Museum, and the Detroit Public Library, amongst many others, open their doors to the public free of charge during this Cultural Center-wide holiday "open house." Activities include horse-drawn carriage rides, holiday shopping, family craft activities and performances by over 70 area music, theatre, and dance groups. The evening's festivities culminate with a community sing-along on Woodward Avenue led by the Salvation Army Band — a long-standing Noel Night tradition.

December 5
Brass Band of Battle Creek Holiday Concert - Battle Creek
A great night of entertainment is in store featuring jazz, classical, blues, and traditional Holiday Fair.

December 31
New Year's Fest - Kalamazoo
New Year's Fest is an all ages showcase of performing arts that takes place New Year's Eve in downtown Kalamazoo. There are a variety of activities that take place including music, magic, comedy, exhibitions, fireworks, and great food! New Year's Fest's vision is to be a premier event that introduces the greater Kalamazoo community to the performing arts by providing an array of quality, unique artists and activities. At midnight there will be fireworks.

December 31
New Year's on the Grand - Grand Rapids
Michigan's biggest New Year's celebration is only weeks away as the radio stations of Citadel Broadcasting present New Year's On The Grand. Last year, more than 20,000 people jammed Rosa Parks Circle in downtown Grand Rapids to ring in 2009 and watch a six foot illuminated ball drop from over 200 feet upon downtown Grand Rapids.

The evening will feature The Bud Light Happy Hour with performances from artists to be named at a press conference on November 12th. The event and performances are all free and open to the public. There are many new features to this year's celebration including a new website, new family activities, and more.

By Absolute Michigan | Posted in Articles, Arts & Entertainment, Community, Destinations, Dig Michigan, Dig Michigan Features, Festivals, Attractions & Event Calendars, Lodging & Travel, Michigan, The Michigan Pages | Comments (6)

Generation Y in Michigan

November 18, 2009 – 7:50 am


"I am standing awkwardly by caterpillars

Over half of all Michigan's public university graduates leave the state within one year of graduation. Michigan Radio Intern Lauren Silverman will probably be one of them. Lauren has launched a new series for Michigan Radio called Generation Y Michigan that explores why young adults in Generation Y are or aren't leaving Michigan. You can hear them during Morning Edition (M-F, 5-9 am) and All Things Considered (M-F, 4-6:30 pm) throughout the following several weeks.

In addition to the on-air features, there's also a blog at GenerationYMichigan.org where listeners can discuss this issue, take part in polls, and view supplementary articles, photographs and essays on the topic. It includes great features like Where Generation Y Is Headed and Why They Leave. In addition to Lauren's posts, there are also some from guest bloggers. I thought it was pretty cool that I found a now generation Y student from my hometown asking provocative questions about whether you actually leave Michigan, even when you do:

...Exposure to other environments should not be confused with brain drain. Michigan needs people who care about it but who also have perspective about how things are done in other cultures outside of Michigan, no matter how close or far.

In my opinion, convincing native young minds to stay might not always work. But travelers from distant places should know that Michigan offers opportunity. I can’t put my finger on it, but I’ve sensed it more and more over the past few years. There’s a burgeoning energy here. The cost of living isn’t bad, and we have at least one of everything! If it’s intelligence you crave, Ann Arbor was named the 4th smartest city in the U.S. in 2008 by Forbes.com. If it’s natural beauty you want, we have 3,052 miles of Great Lakes shoreline. When you’re in Michigan, it’s hard to get more than a few hours away from any one of the lakes.

Furthermore, Michigan stays with you as you go. Everyone I speak to who leaves misses it. Michigan invites your return. Even if I leave after I graduate, Michigan will stay with me.

We'll close with a cool slideshow about why they leave and urge you to visit generationYmichigan.org for much more!

By farlane | Posted in Articles, Blogs & Forums, Dig Michigan, Jobs & Employment, Media, Michigan, Radio & Podcast, Schools & Education, Television & Internet Video, The Michigan Pages, The Michigan Pages: Build Michigan! | Comments (0)

Report on the Grand Rapids International Wine Festival

November 17, 2009 – 5:46 pm

Michigan By the Bottle has a great report on last weekend's Grand Rapids International Wine Festival which featured over 100 Michigan wines for tasting (and I'm not just saying that because the interviewed me):

Grand Rapids International Wine Festival by farlane
Grand Rapids International Wine Festival by farlane

Shannon writes:

From my perspective, the show was a huge success. We had a blast tasting not only Michigan wines, but comparing them to their worldwide counterparts. I am happy to say that the local wine held up very well. I was particularly blown away by the number of young people at the show. This really excites me, as I am a huge advocate of getting the 21-30 something crowd more involved with wine.

I was really impressed that at every Michigan booth, there was representation from the winery -- most of the time it was the actual owner or winemaker.

They'll almost certainly be back in 2010 - stay tuned at  grwinefestival.com!

By farlane | Posted in Articles, Arts & Entertainment, Beer, Wine & Beverages, Blogs & Forums, Breweries & Wineries, Dig Michigan, Festivals, Attractions & Event Calendars, Food & Dining, Grand Rapids, Media, Michigan, Shopping, Television & Internet Video, The Michigan Pages | Comments (2)

Pontiac Silverdome – Sold!

November 17, 2009 – 9:20 am

Abandoned Pontiac Silverdome - Pontiac Mi by Derek Farr ( DetroitDerek )
Abandoned Pontiac Silverdome by Derek Farr

The Detroit News reports that the long-shuttered Pontiac Silverdome has been sold for a mere $583,000 as the home for a soccer league. However, with a cost over $55 million to construct:

"This was a giveaway," said David J. Leitch, a broker with an Auburn Hills based realty firm.

"The property alone, at $10,000 an acre, should have gone for more than that. And you have the Silverdome, its contents, and the infrastructure already in place. I had estimated it would probably go for between $1.2 million and $3 million. I can't believe it."

Such sentiments weren't uncommon Monday, after city officials unsealed bids showing the property that was home to the Detroit Lions was sold at auction to an unnamed Canadian company that plans to bring a soccer league to the stadium. The company's name will be released when the sale is finalized within 45 days, said Fred Leeb, the city's emergency financial manager. Leeb acknowledged the sale "is not a windfall," but said the Silverdome's $1.5 million upkeep drained the beleaguered city's finances.

Go to about 1:20 in the video to get past the auction promo. Much more about the Pontiac Silverdome on Michigan in Pictures!

By farlane | Posted in Articles, Detroit, Detroit Lions, Dig Michigan, Homes & Real Estate, Michigan, Real Estate & Development, Recreation & Sports, Television & Internet Video, The Michigan Pages | Comments (0)

Selecting wines for Thanksgiving dinner with Claudia Tyagi

November 15, 2009 – 7:24 pm

This article appears courtesy the Leelanau Peninsula Vintners Association.

CicconeIn Five questions with wine expert Claudia Tyagi, the Detroit Free Press asks Master Sommelier* Claudia Tyagi about selecting Michigan wines to go with a Thanksgiving dinner. She recommends a few and says:

I always like Riesling with turkey, although with poultry Chardonnay would be beautiful. You have a lot of versatility and a lot of possibility with turkey. You could use a white wine or an aromatic wine. Those tend to go well with turkey, too.

Click through to read the rest and you might also want to try this recipe for roasting your turkey with white wine & rosemary.

Photo: Ciccone by Kiran Bhat

*Wikipedia's Sommelier entry explains that a sommelier is a trained and knowledgeable wine professional who specializes in all aspects of wine service. Since the Master Sommelier Diploma was introduced in 1969, 171 people from around the world had become Master Sommeliers by 2009. Of these there were 74 active Master Sommeliers in the Americas.

Claudia is one of three in the state of Michigan, and her observations can be found at twitter.com/Winegenie. Get many more Thanksgiving ideas at absolutemichigan.com/Thanksgiving.

By farlane | Posted in Articles, Beer, Wine & Beverages, Dig Michigan, Food & Dining, Food, Health & Nutrition, Michigan, Recipes, Shopping, The Michigan Pages | Comments (0)

The Game: Michigan Wolverines vs. Ohio State Buckeyes

November 14, 2009 – 11:00 am


Scoreboard by mollyali

The Game between the Michigan Wolverines and the Ohio State Buckeyes starts at noon on Saturday, November 21, 2009. It doesn't have quite as much on the line, but it's always a big one. Read on for the our massive post on history of this rivalry with tons of links to historical and present-day info.

Read More »

By farlane | Posted in Articles, Blogs & Forums, History & Libraries, Media, Michigan, Photo, Recreation & Sports, Sports, Technology & Internet Media, Television & Internet Video | Comments (56)

Photo Friday: The Whaleback – Leland, MI by danenmolly

November 13, 2009 – 11:29 am

The Whaleback - Leland, MI

danenmolly (Molly) is a friend of mine from the real world and her husband Dane is a pilot - hence the rare photo opportunity showing The Whaleback and North Lake Leelanau taken from high above Lake Michigan's Manitou Passage.

Be sure to check this out bigger and you can see more from this flight in her Fishtown - Leland - Good Harbor - Manitou Islands - Leelanau Peninsula set (slideshow). Her other sets include Aerial Photographs and Lake Michigan Sunsets.

Dive into her Flickriver.

By farlane | Posted in Articles, Arts & Entertainment, Boating, Diving & Beaches, Michigan, NW, Photo Friday, Photography & Film, The Michigan Pages | Comments (0)

25th Annual Silver Bells in the City – Friday, November 20 Lansing

November 12, 2009 – 10:32 am

silver bells 2007 by Michphotog
silver bells 2007 by Michphotog

The 25th Annual Silver Bells in the City will take place on Friday, November 20, 2009 from 5-9 p.m. in downtown Lansing.

Silver Bells in the City, which attracts 120,000 attendees, annually features an Electric Light Parade followed by the lighting of Michigan’s official Christmas tree and a firework show (weather permitting) over the State Capitol.

The entire evening is also filled with free family entertainment including free admission to Lansing’s cultural institutions, horse-drawn wagon rides on Washington Square, and performances by more than 50 local arts and cultural institutions throughout downtown Lansing.

Watch the 4 part video series Silver Bells in the City in Lansing Michigan by Barman6 on YouTube!

By Absolute Michigan | Posted in Articles, Arts & Entertainment, Destinations, Dig Michigan, Dig Michigan Features, Festivals, Attractions & Event Calendars, Lansing, Lodging & Travel, Michigan, The Michigan Pages | Comments (2)